West Virginia Bar Exam Information

The next West Virginia Bar Exam is scheduled to take place on Feb 21-22, 2023.

The two-day exam follows the UBE format and includes essays and multiple-choice questions.

 Exam Dates:Feb 21-22, 2023 & July 25-26 2023
Exam Type:Two-day Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) with multiple choice and long-form questions
Location:Charleston, WV
Application Fee:$500
On-Motion Application Fee:$2,000
Filing Deadline:November 1, 2023
Late Filing Deadline:December 1, 2023
Late Fee:$200

When is the 2023 West Virginia Bar Exam?

The West Virginia Bar Exam takes place on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.

See the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners website for updated information.

Where is the West Virginia Bar Exam Located?

The February 2023 West Virginia Bar Exam will be held at the Four Points By Sheraton Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia.

How much does the West Virginia Bar Exam cost?

Students, graduates, and attorneys admitted less than one year ago pay a fee of $500. Attorneys admitted more than one year ago pay $800.

The fee for admission on motion is $2,000, and the UBE transfer fee is $750.

Applications for the July exam open on March 1, and those made from April 1 to May 1 attract a $200 late filing fee. No applications made after May 1 will be accepted.

For the February exam, the timely filing deadline is November 1, and the final filing deadline is December 1.

Laptops may be used in the exam for a fee of $125 (optional).

The character report fee must be paid separately to the NBCE. Other administrative fees may apply. The West Virginia Board of Law Examiners has detailed information on the application process.

What subjects are tested on the West Virginia Bar Exam?

MBE Subjects:

  • Constitutional Law
  • Contracts/Sales
  • Criminal Law/Procedure
  • Evidence
  • Real Property
  • Torts

MEE/West Virginia Essay Subjects:

  • Business Associations (Agency & Partnership, Corporations & LLCs)
  • Conflict of Laws
  • Constitutional Law
  • Contracts
  • Criminal Law/Procedure
  • Evidence
  • Family Law
  • Federal Civil Procedure
  • Real Property
  • Torts
  • Trusts and Estates (Decedents’ Estates, Trusts & future Interests)
  • Uniform Commercial Code (Articles 3 and 9)
  • MEE questions are to be answered according to the laws of the state of West Virginia

Multistate Performance Test:

“Closed universe” practical problem using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.

What is the format of the West Virginia Bar Exam like?

The West Virginia Bar Exam follows a two-day UBE format:

Day 1:

  • Morning: six 30-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions
  • Afternoon: two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions

Day 2:

  • Morning: one hundred multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) questions
  • Afternoon: one hundred multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) questions

What is the minimum MPRE score needed to take the West Virginia Bar exam?

West Virginia requires a minimum scaled MPRE score of 80 to be obtained within 25 months of admission.

How is the West Virginia Bar Exam Graded?

The MEE and MPT essay scores are scaled to the MBE multiple-choice questions. The exam is weighted as follows:

  • MBE 50%
  • MPT 20%
  • MEE 30%

Scores from all sections are scaled and combined, and a final score of 270 or higher is required to pass the exam.

When are the West Virginia Bar scores released?

Results of the West Virginia Bar Exam are usually released six to eight weeks after the exam.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

An applicant may transfer an MBE scaled score from a previous successful exam taken within 13 months of the present exam.

What is the West Virginia Reciprocity Agreement like?

West Virginia grants admission on motion to attorneys from reciprocal jurisdictions who have:

  • Practiced law for 5 of the 7 years immediately proceeding the application
  • Passed the MPRE exam
  • Graduated from an ABA-accredited law school

How can I contact the West Virginia State Bar?

West Virginia Board of Law Examiners

City Center East
Suite 1200 B
4700 MacCorkle Avenue, SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Telephone: (304) 558-7815
Website: http://courtswv.gov/legal-community/

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